2015 Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy has been around long enough to actually have a legacy. That’s 26 years and counting as a comfortable, affordable, reliable family sedan choice. It’s also mirrored the legacy of the Subaru brand itself: delivering all-weather capabilities in a slightly quirky package. Well, an all-new Legacy is looking to update both histories, while also going a bit more mainstream.
The Subaru Legacy sedan has always labored in the popularity shadow of the Outback Sport Utility Wagon with which it once again shares a platform. So, what does the 2015 Legacy bring to the table to warrant more of the spotlight?
Well, for one thing, smoother, more mainstream styling. It looks like Subaru is taking a page out of the Honda Accord book by making the Legacy silkier, if also more conservative.
And that’s OK if, like the Accord, you design the car to be appealing as an entire package, and not just a shiny object of great desire that lacks good practicality and purpose. And, without a doubt, the Legacy has come a long way towards becoming that type of very desirable car.
And perhaps that’s why they didn’t stretch too much on the powertrains as both engines carry over from last year. The 2.5-liter flat-4 sees a minor 2-horsepower gain to 175, and will still be the choice for most buyers. Our car’s very robust 3.6-liter flat-6 carries over unchanged with 256-horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque
No manual or traditional automatics are offered, as a CVT is the only transmission. And it works surprisingly well this go around, being smoother with fewer…quirks!
Plus, it has helped raise the 6’s fuel economy numbers, though they still aren’t stellar; perhaps that‘s because all-wheel-drive is still standard. Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20-City, 29-Highway, and 23-Combined for the six. We averaged 25.5 miles-per-gallon of Regular in a mixed loop of driving. If you don’t mind sluggish acceleration the 2.5 four has 30% better fuel economy.
At our test track, Subaru’s CVT performed quite well when combined with our snappy 3.6-six. The simulated shifting was strong and accompanied by a nice surge of power as the RPMs dipped ever so slightly. 0 to 60 was dispatched in a reasonable 7.3 seconds, and we ended the quarter-mile in 15.7-seconds at 92 miles-per-hour.
A much stiffer chassis and some honest to goodness heft to the wheel helps the Legacy also perform with more composure and sportiness than most rivals. Things are way more fun to drive than last year, with a definite hike in chassis feedback, and an overall demeanor that’s more Mazda6 than Camry.
Steering is quick and precise for both inputs and corrections, and handling prowess is aided by brake intervention Active Torque Vectoring. Overall braking performance fell back to about average, however, with some minor fade. Stops of 125-feet from 60 were smooth and straight.
Things are well above average inside, particularly in Limited trim……and now we pause from this road test to say thank you, thank you, thank you to Subaru for finally putting in a non-frustrating navigation system. With this latest infotainment system, they’ve went from absolutely one of the worst units to one of the best.
Everything is clear, the colors really pop, and the street names are highly legible. Even the variable touch buttons work well. It’s a huge improvement both visually and functionally, and as much grief as we’ve given them over the years, we’d better spend some time praising, now that they’ve gotten it right.
Gauges are also both more informative and clearer, and again, thank you Subaru, for bringing back a real coolant temperature gauge. A backup camera is now standard on all Legacy’s too, but the feature packed Limited also gets leather heated seating front and rear, a 576-watt Harmon Kardon audio system, and blind spot detection.
Seats all-around deliver great comfort and most interior measurements are up just slightly; even trunk capacity climbs a little to 15.0 cubic-ft before you fold the split rear seats.
Legacy base pricing also climbs slightly to $22,490 for the 2.5i. The 3.6R comes in top tier Limited trim only, and stickers for $30,390.
It’s clear to us that Subaru has listened to current owners and changed only what needed to be changed. The new Legacy may be less quirky, but in it stead is a high quality car that’s not nearly as sedate as it looks. Plus, even though it’s more mainstream, it still offers standard all-wheel drive, something still unique to the affordable mid-size family sedan segment. The 2015 Subaru Legacy deserves it’s time in the spotlight. We’re very favorably impressed with the result.
Specifications
- Horsepower: 256
- Engine: 3.6 liter
- Torque: 247 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 7.3 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 15.7 seconds @ 92 mph
- EPA: 20 mpg city/ 29 mpg highway
2025 Aston Martin Vantage
Gorgeous Aston Martin Gets Nasty With Performance
Aston Martin has a long history of delivering high-performance vehicles packed with classic British elegance. But with their latest Vantage coupe, Aston Martin has seriously cranked up the performance part of that formula. So, let’s hit the track and see how it all comes together.
We’re ripping through the nine high-speed turns of Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway as fast as possible, trying to outrun an epic winter storm that’s about to shut down most of the South. And this 2025 Aston Martin Vantage seems to be enjoying it as much as we are. Quite simply, we didn’t expect the Vantage to be this inspired. After all, Aston has used the Vantage name on a variety of vehicles over the years, but this particular coupe arrived for 2019 and gets a proper and prodigious refreshing for 2025.
Visually, it’s an absolutely gorgeous piece of machinery, with the exaggerated proportions that would be borderline cartoonish if they weren’t so exquisitely executed. And despite decades of improving camera technology, our lenses simply can’t truly portray the depth and beauty of this Podium Green paint job, part of the “Racing Line” collection.
Now, it may look all British sports car outside, but it still gets its power from a German V8; AMG’s hand-assembled 4.0-liter twin-turbo unit, and for those keeping score at home its 656-horsepower output is a healthy 128 horsepower increase over last year. It sends its 590 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Somehow this European union comes out feeling more NASCAR than sports car, as the Vantage is crazy fast and a handful to drive.
For being a GT car at heart, the Vantage has a very dynamic feel to it with way more feedback than the typical Grand Tourer. And considering the last Aston Martin we drove was an SUV, it’s great to be back in a proper British sport coupe that’s willing to get down to business on a racetrack. Even with that monster motor up front, the Vantage’s bonded aluminum structure enables perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and you feel right in the middle of it.
The Vantage has a very dynamic feel to it with way more feedback than the typical Grand Tourer.
A complete suspension overhaul includes Active Vehicle Dynamics with adaptive dampers, an electronic rear differential, and new 21-inch Michelin PS 5s. It all works through Adjustable Traction Control with eight levels of intervention, including full-off if conditions are appropriate. It does have some roll to it, but it feels very natural. Integrated Brake Slip Control modulates braking on turn-ins, and with the Carbon Disc upgrade, braking performance was exceptional once they were warmed up. ABS was quick to trigger until we got some heat into them, after which point their bite was strong and consistent.
The biggest takeaways from our track time: it feels insanely powerful and sounds incredibly ferocious, yet at the same time, it’s so smooth and refined it’s easy forget your speed. Alas, we couldn’t outrun that snowstorm which arrived before we could do any acceleration runs, but we expect the Vantage can do a mass Brexitous to 60 in 3.4 seconds, aided by a new Launch Control system.
It feels every bit as special inside. The cockpit is a little tight, but everything is within easy reach and logically placed. The Mercedes-Benz influence is much less noticeable with an all-new console and center stack. Switchgear and materials feel exquisite and purposeful, with lots of carbon fiber and leather. The 10.3-inch infotainment screen is another big change, as the Vantage gets Aston’s new in-house system first seen in the DB12.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 15 City, 22 Highway and 18 Combined.
Vantage pricing starts at $194,500, with plenty of ways to make that number climb in a hurry.
Staying true to the brand while absolutely tearing up a racetrack, well, you really can’t ask for anything more than that. That’s what makes the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage so special. It’s a great place to spend your high-performance dollars if you’re looking for something a little different, but with even more of the familiar thrills.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- 0-60 mph: 3.4 seconds
- Horsepower: 656
- Torque: 590 lb-ft